Hazardous situation in Verin Getashen community of Gegharkunik region  - local residents seized an SHPP

ArmInfo. A hazardous situation has developed in the community of Verin Getashen of Gegharkunik region of Armenia as local residents seized a small  hydroelectric power station.

According to the Renewable Energy Producers Association of Armenia,  the situation started heating up a few days ago at the initiative of  some villagers who, by threatening, encroaching on the constitutional  rights of citizens to property, seized the local Argishi HPP. The  Association strongly condemns these manifestations and expresses  concern over uncontrolled and explosive acts, which at any time can  get out of control and lead to numerous physical and material losses.  Moreover, threats of physical violence are voiced against the station  staff, keeping them at bay.

The Association reminds that a few days ago, with the participation  of the head of the village administration Tigran Muradyan, a number  of villagers, without any legal justification, guided by illegal  actions, first entered and then seized the station, which was built  for years. They threaten to disable and destroy it. Meanwhile, the  Hydro Corporation company, which owns the Small Hydroelectric Power  Plant, without having any legal obligations, has made significant own  investments in its construction. The roads were also repaired and the  irrigation system improved. Nevertheless, the head of the community  demands from the company to pay annually 50 million drams to the  community budget, moreover, starting from 2015. The company is  already preparing materials for contacting the Police and the General  Prosecutor's Office with a request to open a criminal case.

Based on this particular situation, the Association urges to refrain  from such vicious phenomena, which are aimed at destroying the  foundations of statehood, damaging the image of a law-governed state  in which the right to property, social tolerance, democracy and the  rule of law are of primary importance. The Association also reports  that for its part, it will take all the necessary steps and  initiatives that will be aimed at maintaining values and the rule of  law.

As ArmInfo reported earlier, a working group has been set up to  research SHPPs.  Serious decisions will be made upon the results of  the studies. Currently, there are 186 small hydropower plants  operating in  Armenia, which produce 19-20% of the total electricity  generated in  the country. The Government of Armenia is interested in  the development of small hydropower facilities, but not to the  detriment  of the environment. Small hydropower is part of renewable  energy, the  development of which is among the priorities of the  country's  government.  In particular, in the next 2 years it is  planned to build another 32 small hydropower plants

Meanwhile, their construction will depend on compliance with the 10  criteria for environmental impact assessment established by the  government of the country. This concerns the presence of endemic  species of aquatic flora and fauna registered in the Red Book of  Armenia, preservation of the actual water flow at a level not  exceeding the ecological release determined by the water use permit,  the presence of sanitary protection zones of aquatic ecosystems, the  presence of nature monuments within a radius of 150 meters, and  landslides, the presence of roads or the need to build them in the  construction sites of small hydropower plants, the distance from  settlements, the impact of noise on the environment and human health.  It also provides for the suspension of licenses of hydropower plants  in case of 40% or more congestion of rivers by diversion pipes. 

As the country's well-known specialist in water resources, Ph.D.  Knarik Hovhannisyan earlier told ArmInfo correspondent, despite the  fact that hydroelectric power stations are ecologically most safe in  the list of other alternative sources of electricity, in recent  years, due to the extremely extensive construction of small  hydropower plants in Armenia on the republic's waterways, the  ecological condition of aquatic ecosystems has deteriorated sharply.  This is due to the violation of the regime of environmental flows,  which impede the conservation of the biodiversity (flora and fauna)  of aquatic ecosystems. Among other factors that violate the normal  activities of natural ecosystems, the expert considers the frequent  excess of the established limits for water withdrawal, violation of  the norms for the construction and operation of hydraulic structures.